Coin-counting machine



H. J. BAUR.

COIN COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. 1919.

1,4:1 0,239 Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

B SHEETS-SHEET l.

nu l 24 lIlr WEE-35E; v Ki UR H. J. BAUR. colN COUNTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV.3, I919.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

H. I. BAUR.

COIN COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.3, I919. I

1,410,239. Patented Mar. '21, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4- H. J. BAUR.

COIN COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION nuzo Nov.3. 1919.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5- VE 12R jig/7 H. J. BAUR.

com coummG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3.19I9.

1,410,239. PatentedMar.21,1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUG-O J'. BAUR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHNSON COIN COUNTING MACHINE 00., A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK.

COIN-COUNTING MACHINE.

Application filed November 3, 1919.. Serial No. 335,311.

To all whom 5t may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO J. Benn, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Coin- Gounting htlachine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same. reterencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals 0i reference marked thereon, which form a part or": this specification.

This invention relates to a high speed coin counting machine which is adapted to count predetermined numbers of coins of different denominations, according to the denomination for which the machine is adjusted, and mechanisms are provided within the machine for automatically stopping the actuation of the counting mechanism after the desired number of coins has been counted. The machine also embodies novel features of handling the coins so that great numbers of coins may be accurately counted within. a short space of time and this is achieved by the use of mechanism handling the coins comprising a high-speed centrifugal coin receiving; disk, which discharges to a slower speed carrier element and the coins are carried thereby into the field of operation of the counting mechanism.

It is an object therefore of this invei'ltion to provide a high-speed coin-counting machine wherein centrifugal means are provided to distribute the coins to a coin-car rying element which thereafter transfers the coins rapidly into the field of operation of a counting mechanism.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a high-speed coin counting machine wherein centrifugal mechanism operates to distribute and discharge the coins to a carrying element which in turn carries the coins into the field of operation of counting mechanisms, if desired, set to count a predetermined number of coins, and thereafter said counting mechanisms are locked from further operation until set by the operator for continuous counting or for another predetermined count of coins.

It is furthermore an object of this inven- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

Drawings. Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof.

Figure 3 is a verticalsectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1, with parts in elevation and parts omitted.

Figure 4t is a v .rtical sectional view taken substantially on line 1-4: of Figure 3, with parts in elevation and parts omitted.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged top view with parts broken away and shown in section. illustrating the association. of the counting mechanism with the coin carrying and measuring ineans.

Figure 7 is a detail section substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail substantially on line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is an interior View of the countin mechanisms taken substantially on line 10-10 of Figure 6, with parts omitted and parts shown in elevation.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary plan view with parts in section taken on line 11-11 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 12-12 0i Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a detail section on line 13-13 of Figure 11.

Figure 19 is a top'plan view of the low' speed coin carrier element. v

Figure 20 is a bottom plan of the retaining ring adapted to be fitted overthe coin carrier element.

Figure 21 is a detail view taken on line 2121 of Figure 4.

Description, The counting machine embraces a base 1, which is cored out on the interior and tion 4, and

is provided with abottom 2. As shown clearly in Figure 3, a top wall 3 of the base 1 has a downwardly extending circular porjournalled vertically therethrough is a shaft 5 having a bearing memher 6 seated in said recessed portion 4:. Secured to the under surface of the top wall 3 in any suitable manner, and disposed within the interior of'the base, is a "Li-shaped frame 7 affording a step bearing 8 at its lower portion for said shaft 5 and also provided with a hearing extension or bracket 9 at one side thereof. Secured upon the upper end of said shaft 5 is a receiving and distributing coin wheel or centrifugal disk 10 and journalled on said shaft 5 therebeneath is a coin carrying or propelling element or disk 11, the margin of which is offset upwardly so as to surround said high speed disk 10 and is flush therewith. Se-

cured upon the hub of the carrier wheel or disk 11 is a driving gear 12 therefor which meshes w th a driving pinion 13 secured upon the upper end of an upright counter shaft 1 1, which is journalled in an extension 15 of the U-frame 7 and in the top wall 3 of the frame 1. Atits lower end said shaft 11 is provided with a gear 16, which meshes with a driving pinion 17 secured upon the lower end of the shaft 5. Thus it will be seen that the high-speed disk 10 is driven directly from the shaft 5, and the coin carrier element 1.1 is driven indirectly therefrom and at a lower speed. V The shaft 5 is provided with a. bevel pinion 18 secured thereon and which is driven by a larger beveled gear 19 secured upon the inner end of a horizontal shaft 20. Said horizontal shaft 20 is journalled in a hearing 21 formed in the U-frame 7, and also in the bearing 9, and as shown, is provided with a detachable handle 22 adapted to be the coin carrier wheel 11. said wall 23 andprojecting upwardly there inidese The top wall 3 of the'base frame 1 is provided with anupwardly extending circular wall 23, the outer surface of which is substantially flush with the outer edge of Fitted around from is a ring 24: and adjustably mounted in said ring 24rand'supported thereby and spaced above the centrifugal disk 10 and the carrierelement 11 is a ring me'mber25 of channel section having a central aperture 26 through which coins are introduced into the machine upon the centrifugal disk 10. Attached over cut-away portions of said ring 24; are small plates 27, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 5, and

each of said plates 27 is provided with an irregular slot 28 therein adapted toreceive a pin 29 which is secured upon the ring member 25, and by the position of the respective pins 29 in said slots 28, the elevation of said member 25 above said. disk 10 the coin carrier element 11 is determined. The inner upper edge of said channel member 25 is beveled, as clearly shown in Figure 41, so as to permit a hopper, pan, or other means to be fitted therein for discharge of coinsto the centrifugal disk, 10.

Secured in any suitable mannerupon the top wall 3 of the base frame 1 at the front end of the machine, is a small casing 30 cored out on its interior, as clearly shown in Figure 3, and having journalled vertically therethrough, a shaft 31, the lower end of which projects through the top wall of the base 1 and. is provided with a bevel pinion 32. Secured near the upper end of the shaft 31, exterior of the casing .30, is a small bevel pinion 33, which meshes with another bevel pinion 3 1 on the shaft of a totalizing register or counter 35, shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2, and mounted upon the upper surface of the casing30. The upper end of said shaft 31 has attached thereon a hand knob 36 whereby the register shaft 31 .may be manually adjusted to set the counting wheel or registering mechanism to the position desired. Secured upon the shaft 31 within the easing 30 is a ratchet wheel 3?, clearly shown in Figure 6, and pivotally mounted adjacent thereto on a pintle 38 depending from the top wall of the casing 30 is adetent lever 39 provided with a roller 40 at its end for engagement withthe ratchet wheel 87 and having a spring llnormally impelling said lever 39 toward the ratchet wheel.

Also secured upon the register drive shaft 31 1S courcontactmgstar wheel having ten teeth on its periphery and so disposed with relation to the coin carrying element 11 as to project slightly thereover. as shown in Figures 6 and 3, with one tooth of the star wheelv normally resting in a recessed marginal portion of said, coin carrying element.

Pivoted upon a stud it within the casing 30, shown in F igure 6, is a lever with a spring 1-6 coiled around said stud 14, as shown in Figure 12, and connected with said lever is to normally impel the same outwardly away from the star wheel l2. Said lever is adapted to swing inwardly beneath the star wheel a2 and is provided with an abutment portion 47, shown in dotted lines in Figure 6. Two diametrically oppositely disposed projections or stops 48 are provided on the under surface of the star wheel 12, each one thereof adapted to contact with the abutment portion l? of said .lever when the same is swung inwardly to thereby loch said star wheel from movement. Said lever is also provided with a downwzufdly extending tail portion 19, which extends through a cut-away portion of the top wall 3 of the base "frame 1, as clearly shown in Figure 10.

Within the base frame 1 beneath the easing 30 are a pair of depending members 50, shown in detail in Figures 10 11 and 11, and journalled therebetween is a worm shaft 51, the worm threads of which are of ratchet configin-atimi. Secured to one end of the worm shaft 51 1s shown in Figure 11, is a bevel pinion 52 which meshes with the bevel pinion 32 of the register actuating shaft 31.

Another pair of dependingmembers are provided on the under surface of the top wall 3 of the base frame 1, and supported thercbetween is a shaft 5-1. Pivot-ally mounted upon the shaft at the ends thereof, are the radial extensions or arms of a long plate 55, shown clearly in Figure 11, the rearward edge of which is turned downwardly denoted by the reference numeral. 56 as shown in Fig. 16, and the forward recessed edge of which is provided with a notch 57 to receive the tail portion 49 of the lever 45.

Slidably mounted upon the shaft 54:, as shown in Figures 10 and 16, is a cylindrical member 58, which at one end is reduced on its exterior diameter in stepped relation to afford successive steps and mounted thereon are three levers denoted respectively by the reference numerals '59, and 61.

The lever 59 is pivota-lly mounted and at its outer end is ollset downwardly a slight amount below the stationary lever 60, as clearly shown in Figure 12, and is provided with a beveled edge extension 6.1, shown in Figure 12, which extends beneath the worm 51 and, owing to the weight of the other end of said lever, said extension is normally held upwardly in engagement with the threads of the worm. The lever 60 is provided with an upwardly attending portion or projection 62, which is adapted to contact the tail portion 49 of the lever tor a purpose hereinafter pointed out. The lever 61 is pivotally mounted and is provided with a' bent beveled end. 63, shown clearly in Figure 10, and bearing on a lug projection 6 lot said lever 61, is one end of a spring 65 coiled about a cylindrical member (36 rigidly mounted upon the reduced diameter end of the cylinder 58.

Consequently said spring acts to hold the outer end. of said lever downwardly in the position shown in Figure 12. Said lever 61 is also provided with a projecting portion 67, which is notched to engage with the down-turned margin 56 of the plate 55 and by movement of the lever, tilts said plate from the position shown in Figure 12 to a position such as shown in Figure The end of the levers 59 and 60 project outwardlv through long slot 68 in a plate secured upon the front surface of the base 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. en adjustable stop element is slidably mounted in the slot 68 and this comprises a stud 70, shown in detail in Figures 13 and 1 1, having; a flange 71 to bear against the inner surface of the base frame 1. A cylindrical member 72 is slidable on said stud with a compression spring 73 disposed on its interior to normally hold the same thrust inwardly against the plate 69, so that the clamping arrangement holds the stop element or stud 70 in any desired position in the slot 68. A V-shaped projection 7a is provided on the upper portion of said cylindrical member 72, and a plate '75 is secured over the plate 69, and is provided with a series of V -notches having the numbers 1020-2530l0 5010O and letter C thereover into any one of which the V-shaped projection is adapted to fit to hold the stop stud 70 from sliding movement in its slot. The inner end of said stud '70 is in a position to be contacted by the beveled end 63 of the lever 60.

Means are provided for regulating the admission of coins to the counting mechanism one by one and also preventingadmission thereto of coins larger than the diameter of the particular denomination of coin for which the machine is set for counting. This comprises a long lever 76 clearly shown in Figure 6, pivoted upon astud 77, and the forward end of said lever is tapered to afford a finger which lies over the surface ot the carrier element- 11 in position opposite to the counting star wheel 42. Theother end of said lever 76 is provided with a series of apertures 78, different ones oi which are adapted to register with different ones of aseries of apertures 79 provided in the top wall of the base frame 1, according to the pivotal shifting movement given to said lever '76 for the purpose. A removable plug is provided adapted to be inserted through any pair of registering apertures to hold. the lever 7 6 in any fixed desired position of adjustment with reference to the star or counting wheel $2 for coil of a certain denomination.

Means is provided to regulate the elevation of the ring member25 above the coin carrying element 11 coincident with adjustment of the lever 76, so that said ring member 25 is spaced above the coin carrier element a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a coin for which the leverr'e is set, For this purpose a tail extension 81 is provided on the lever 76 and a roller 82 is mounted thereon which engages upwardly into a recess 83 therefor provided in a cutaway portion 8a of the under surface of said ring member 25, as shown in Figures 9 and 20.

The carrier or propeller element 11 is provided with two circular apertures 85 therethrough substantially diametrically opposite one another, as shown in Figure 19, and pivoted on an extension on the under portion of the carrier element beneath each aperture, is a beveled edge pawl 86, shown clearly in Figures 7 and 8, each normally impelled upwardly through its aperture by a spring 8'7. The coins that lay on the disk 11 in front of the pawls or studs 86 are hence positively carried and propelled past the counting wheel a2. It will be noted that the counting wheel projects over the edge of the disk 11, and that the coins could not pass or escape between the lever 7 6 and a tooth of said counting wheel, unless some means on the disk 11 urged them past the wheel. Hence the disk 11 might be termed a conveying propeller disk. As shown clearly in Figure 20. the under surface of the ring member 25 is provided with a circular groove 88, in which said projecting beveled edge pawls may travel regardless of the adjustment of said member 25.

It should be particularly noted that my machine has the propelling conveyor disk and all operating mechanism so arranged that the same can be readily encased in the frame of the machine, making a pleasing appearance and at the same time protecting the same and preventing persons from being n ured thereby.

Operaton.

The machine is first set to the particular denomination of com to be counted by inserting the plug 80 in two of a pair of regcounting star wheel 42 shown in Figure 6.

This adjustment of the lever 76 about its pivot 77 also effects a slight rotational adjustment of the ring member 25, which is supported on its three projecting pins 29 in the slotted plates 27 on the outer ring section 24;, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. The adjustment of the supporting pins 29 in the slotted plates 2'? determines the elevation of the ring member 25 from the carrier element 11 and centrifugal disk 10, and this distance is slightly greater than the thickness of the coin for which the lever 76 is positioned with respect to the star wheel 42.

The coins are dumped promiscuously into the machine through the opening 26 from a pan or any other suitable hopper provided for the purpose, and the high speed centrifugal disk 10 causes thecoins to slide outwardly thereon so that the same slide singly beneath the ring member 25 and onto the upwardly offset margin of the carrier element 11, which is flush with the top surface on the centrifugal. dish 10. The coins dis tributed by the disk 10 to the carrier or propeller element 11, which is moving at a lower speed than the disk 10, are carried toward the counting wheel. 42 and wedge into count ing position between a teeth of thecounting wheel and the end of the lever 76. Before long one of the projecting pawls 86 of the carrier element ll moves into position baclr of the coin, or back of a series thereof, to thrust the same past the counting wheel 42, the coin riding along on the edge of the lever 76 during its progress. Each coin serves to turn the counting wheel one tooth and overtravel or accidental adjustment thereof is prevented by the spring-impelled detent lever 39 and the ratchet wheel 37. The coins as they pass the star wheel 42 are thrown off of the carrier element 11 due to centrifu al force and guided therefrom by the lever 76, fall into the discharge chute 89.

The counting machine may be operated to count coins continuously, totalizing the same upon the register 35, or may be setfto count the coins in predetermined groups of ten, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, fifty, or one hundred, and mechanisms then operate automatically to lock the counting wheel from further movement until the machine is again set for another counting operation. Then the coin-counting wheel as is locked from movement, or if a coin should become wedged for any reason in counting position so as to prevent the counting of other coins, the projecting pawls 86, upon striking the rear edge of a coin, will be depressed against the stress of their respective springs 8? Owing to the beveled surface of contact with the coin. Without undue resistance to the In order to set the counting machine to i.

intense count a predetermined'number of coins, the lever 59 is clasped by the fingers together with the lever 60, thereby elevating the end of the lever 59 and depressing the inner extension 6i thereof, shown in Figure 14-, downwardlyfrom and out of engagement with tne worm 5.1, whereupon, by means of said levers, the entire assembly of levers and cylinder 58 may be moved along upon the rod 01' shaft 5%. The stop 70 has been set, for instance, to the 100 mark, as shown in Figure 18, to count 100 coins and upon the assembly mentioned. being shifted toward said stop, the beveled or inclined end 63 of the lever 61 strikes the stud 70 and rides thereover, thereby tilting the plate 55 inwardly. If the tail lever 49 has been in engagement with the notch 57 of said plate 55, then said tail lever is released and the lever swings outwardly under the impulse of its spring 4-6. l Vhen said lever 4:5 is in its inner position with the tail 49 thereof locked in the notch 57 of the plate 55, the abutment 4L7 on said lever 45 is in the path of one of the projections 48 of the counting wheel 42, thus preventing operation thereof. W hen the assembly of levers 59 and 60 and 61 are moved to their limiting positions determined by the position of the stop stud 70 and the lever 59 is released, the inner beveled edge end 61 thereof will again engage with the worm 51.

V'Vhen a drive is imparted to the counting machine and coins are counted the successive actuations of the star wheel 4-2 ascoins move therepast serves not only to operate the register 35 to totalize the coins counted, but also to drive the worm shaft 51 through the beveled gears 32 and 52, as shown in Figure 11. The speed ratios of the various gears and the pitch of the worm are such that upon the beginning of movement of the worm the lever assembly and and cylinder are moved. along on the shaft and at the time 100 coins have been counted, the projection 62 on the lever 60 strikes the tail 49 on the lever 45 swinging the lever 45 inwardly against the stress of the spring 46, to lock the star wheel l2 from further movement and the said lever L9, upon moving inwardly, first tilts the.

plate 55 upwardly against the stress of the spring 65 and then seats into the recess 57 and is locked from retractive movement by return of the plate 55 to horizontal position. The counting wheel can now only be re leased by resetting the stop stud to a new position and then elevating the lever 59 and moving the lever assembly along on the rod 54L until the beveled end 63 strikes.

the stop stud 70 to tilt the plate 55 into the position shown in Figure let to release the tail portion 4 9 of the lever e5, whereupon its spring will move the same out of locking position.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not pur ose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a coin counting machine, a centrifugal coin distributing disk, a conveying propeller member concentric therewith, means for rotatably supporting said disk and member on the same axis, and means for rotating said disk and member at different rates of speed respectively.

' 2. In a coin counting machine, a counting mechanism, a rotatable coin distributing disk, a rotatable conveying and propeller ring surrounding said. disk for receiving the coins, and carrying them to the counting mechanism, and'nieans for operating'said disk and ring at different relative speeds.

3. In acoin counting machine, a rotatable coin distributing disk, a rotary propeller concentric therewith, a coin guiding ring surrounding said propeller, a flange member adjustably supported on said ring and overhanging said propeller, and means for rotating said disk and propeller.

4:. In a coin counting machine, a horizontal rotary coin distributing disk, a horizontal. coin conveying and propeller ring concentric therewith, and means for driving said disk and ring at different relative rates of speed.

5. In a coin counting machine, two concentric rotatable members having their upper surfaces in the same horizontal plane, and driving means therefor.

6. in a coin counting machine, a coin counting wheel, a horizontal coin distributing disk, a horizontal coin conveying and propeller device for receiving the coins from said disk and carrying and propelling them in contact with said counting wheel, and means for driving said disk and device at different relative speeds.

In a coin counting machine, a counting mechanism, a centrifugal coin distributing disk, a conveying propeller concentric therewith for receiving the coins and carrying them to the counting mechanism, means for rotatably supporting said disk and member upon the same axis, and means for driving the same at different relative rates of speed.

8. In a coin counting machine, a counting mechanism, a coin distributing disk, a coin propeller having a flat upper surface in the same plane as the upper surface of said disk adapted. for conveying the coins to said,

counting mechanism, and means for operating said disk and propeller.

9. In acoin counting machine, a coin counting wheel having projections, an adjustable lever, and means comprising a rotating worm screw for adjusting said lever to engage said projections to stop said c0unting Wheel after a predetermined number of revolutions thereof,

10. In a coin counting machine, a counting Wheel, a device adjacent thereto, a longitudinally adjustable stop, a longitudinally movable mechanism, and means for operating said Wheel and mechanism to cause said mechanism to engage said stop and operate said device to stop said counting Wheel.

11. In a coin counting machine, rotary coindistributing and conveying members, a guide ring surrounding said conveying member, a flange member adjustably supported on said ring, said ring having an opening for ejecting'coins therethrough, a lever pivoted adjacent said opening for varying the size of said opening, and means on said lever for adjusting said flange member siinultaneously with the adjustment of said ever.

12. In a coin counting machine, a counting mechanism, a horizontal rotary coin distributing disk, and a horizontal propeller having yielding abutments for propelling the coins into contact With said counting mechanism. I

13. In a coin counting machine, a counting Wheel, a rotary coin receiving and distributing device, and a horizontal propeller for receiving the coins from said device, and conveying them to and projecting them past said counting wheeh In testimony whereof I i have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

- HUGO J. BAUR,

IVitnesses EARL M. IIARDINE, OSCAR HARTMANN. 

